www.WHEC.com

Shooting renews argument over video game violence

Posted at: 12/20/2012 4:29 PM
By: Amanda Ciavarri

As many politicians call for action in the areas of gun control and mental health in response to the Newtown, Connecticut mass shooting, West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller wants to explore violent video games.

Rockefeller's legislation would direct the National Academy of Sciences to research the impact violent video games have on kids.

"It's not this game. You take the game away, if the person is still messed up, here he's still gonna kill." Pete Andrews has been selling video games since 1995 and says this is an age old debate.

He says violent video games and their impact on those who play them biomes a hot topic every time there is a mass shooting like the one at Sandy Hook.

According to the Associated Press, there have been unconfirmed media reports that 20-year-old Lanza played a range of video games, from the "Call of Duty" series to "Dance Dance Revolution."

Andrews said, "They are looking for a scapegoat to blame either the guns or the video games or something else. There has been violence around since human history, a lot more violent video games weren't around."

Some people say they do believe that violent video games can change the way a person thinks and acts, but say they are too available to be stopped.

Greg Cody said, "It's really up to the parents. They are all out there, all types of games. It's up to the parents to really legislate what games the kids are gonna play."

Spencer Hegedorn says he plays violent video games. "I don't think it really changes me as a person so I feel like it's the individual that it depends on."

And even though Andrews says he doesn't think video games change the person playing them, he says you do need to be a parent. "You gotta tell your kids, this is a game, this is not real and usually the response is 'I know, I know that'. It's not the object, it's not this game here. It's not Medal of Honor. It's the person, the person pulls the trigger."

The COE of Gamer Fit Nation, an online gaming website, is asking that on Friday no one plays online shooting games. This is not to say the games are responsible for anything, but just to show they care.